


We'll Wear Our Scars

by igotfiregirl



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, M/M, Permanent Injury, S3E11, Shared Injury, Shared Scars, Zukka Week 2021, mature for mentions of violence and swearing, s1e2
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-15
Updated: 2021-03-15
Packaged: 2021-03-24 05:42:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,327
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30067539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/igotfiregirl/pseuds/igotfiregirl
Summary: In which Sokka hates his soulmate for putting them through hell, and hates him even more when he finds out his soulmate is the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation, Prince Zuko.ZukkaWeek 2021
Relationships: Bato/Hakoda (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 63





	We'll Wear Our Scars

**Author's Note:**

> hey yall! Here's a Shared Injury Soulmate AU, set in universe. This WILL be part of a bigger series, this is basically the tl;dr.

As Zuko looked up at his father, through teary eyes, all he could think about was his soulmate. Sharing wounds is easy when it’s a bruise on the arm or a scraped knee. 

It was all he thought about every time his father laid hands on him. How  _ cruel  _ his father was to do this to not just him, but to who was one day going to be the love of his life. He  _ knew _ they shared every beating. Every time he was tossed around like a ragdoll. The only solace he felt was knowing movement was never a part of it, just the trauma that ensued. 

Maybe, if he thought hard enough,  _ felt _ hard enough, he’d be able to let his soulmate know how absolutely sorry he was that this was about to happen. 

_ Im sorry I’m sorry I’m so, so sorry.  _

Sokka  _ knew _ something was coming from the way his stomach dropped straight out of his body. He dropped to his knees, hands digging into the snow. He’d felt the fear and sadness, before every time he got spiritually punched in the face and every time he awoke in the dead of night with fingertips burned into his skin. 

_ Not now, spirits please not  _ now. It was too goddamn early in the morning for this. Katara wasn’t bound at the soul to anyone, why would the spirits choose him? 

“Sokka? Why’d you stop training us?” Suunak, the eldest of the water tribe kids he was in the middle of wrestling with, went to shake Sokka’s shoulder. 

It was then that Sokka started screaming bloody murder, and Sunnak hit the ground running to get Gran-Gran.

But by the time the elder women of the tribe got to him, it was too late. Not that they would have been able to do anything about it, but maybe it would have been nice to have a soothing hand on his back while half his face melted off. Instead he was left trying to soothe two crying children while sobbing himself. 

The elder women found Sokka face first in the snow, with the kids tucked under each arm.

“Sokka? Can you look at me?” Ailika ran her hand through Sokka’s hair ever so lovingly until his sobs became cries and he looked up.  _ Why can I only see through one eye? Spirits it hurts so much.  _

“Whoever did this to his soulmate is one cruel firebender, that’s a handprint.” Gran-Gran whispered at Sokka’s side, looking up to the others and pulling the kids away from him so they could help him back to the village. 

Recovery was grueling for the both of them. They were both feeling some big feelings, and both of them felt the others. Anger and sadness, cycled through day in and day out. While Zuko let his depression turn him hard and angry, Sokka succumbed. In the early days, Sokka mostly laid around, allowing Katara to take care of him. Every thought was of his new injury, and how irreparably broken they now were.

He hated his soulmate for letting this happen to them. Even still, he knew they’d wind up figuring it out. It was, after all, their destinies. 

Zuko felt it, and felt bad for it all the time. He wondered if his soulmate could still feel his sorrow. When the bandages came off and he found that he could still see, it gave him hope that his soulmate would be the same.

Even if they couldn’t see, Zuko would just love them harder. He longed to give someone all the love that was hidden in his heart, stolen away by his heartache his mother gave him. 

Maybe they could feel Zuko’s longing. Maybe they knew that, hell and high water, Zuko was already in it to win it. 

When they first met in the Southern Water Tribe, Sokka noticed Zuko’s scar almost immediately, and his heart stopped. He’d figured maybe his soulmate got out with their life after a fire nation raid, but for him to be  _ the Crown Prince of the Fire Nation _ was a little cruel.

So he took his anger out on him. He was furious. So angry at him for being  _ him,  _ for letting everything happen to them, for driving a wedge between them before they’d even met. So what if it was a little mean of him to hold these things against a child? He was responsible for it. Responsible for making these things happen to them, responsible by association for this damn war, responsible for his mothers death. 

Sokka had to admit, though, that anyone who was able to kick him  _ in the head _ was impressive. Attractive even. Whatever about that though, he had his family to protect. 

“I  _ know _ you’re hiding him!” Zuko yelled at the group before throwing a wave of fire at them, and Sokka snapped back into warrior mode. He dug up that anger and ran toward Zuko, only to be effortlessly flipped around.  _ Who is this fuckin’ guy? _ Sure, Sokka landed on his ass, but was quick to recover and throw his boomerang. 

Zuko easily dodged the weapon, and finally got a solid look at the guy who’d been attacking him.  _ Oh, oh no. Nonononono.  _ Zuko would recognize his scar anywhere, even on someone else. Their eyes met, and the energy between them changed. Two souls, finally seeing each other again, in this life. Neither of them could help the sheer  _ relief _ they felt. It was like every fiber of their beings, every frayed,  _ burnt _ edge screamed  _ oh finally, finally I’ve found you.  _

But there was still a war going on. Regardless of the Spirits awful timing and poor choices, Zuko was even more desperate to be welcomed home. So when that little Water Tribe kid told Sokka to “show no mercy”, Zuko took it as a direction as well. 

Every pound on Sokka’s head ricocheted inside Zuko’s, but as soon as Sokka was back on his ass Zuko relented and stared down upon his  _ soulmate.  _ Ugh, the word was tainted now, now that he knew. They were on opposite sides, nothing would  _ ever  _ change that.

And as soon as he had the Avatar, he turned his back on Sokka and vowed to never see his fucking face again. 

When the war ships door closed, and the energy between them was severed, their hearts began to yearn more than ever before. 

_ Don’t let me go. Stay with me.  _

_ Where are you going? Come back. Please.  _

“So…  _ Prince Zuko,  _ huh?” They were in the air, steadily heading toward the giant Koi fish. Aang looked at Sokka, a little nervous. 

“I don’t want to talk about it. Ever.” Sokka folded his arms and looked away, into the clouds. Of course Zuko was the only thing he was capable of thinking about. Now that they’d met, now that he knew, every mile put between them felt like pulling a string, tight enough to snap him in half. 

He hated himself for it. 

Katara knew better than to talk about it. Ever since the accident, the topic had never come back up. She knew how her brother felt about it, and knew that now, more than ever, Sokka had to be angry. 

“If you don’t talk about it, it’s only going to get worse. Like, I don’t even think I  _ have _ a soulmate, at least you-” Sokka yelled out, and in his anger, pushed Aang backwards and he went tumbling out of Appa’s saddle and down into the clouds. 

“Sokka!” Katara scrambled over to the edge of the saddle, sighing in relief when she saw Aang hanging onto one of Appa’s feet for dear life. “You are such an idiot.”

“I told him to shut up. Maybe now he will. I’m tired.” Sokka flopped onto his side, screwing his eyes shut tightly. “It has to be a coincidence,” was the last thing he whispered before falling into a light, dreamless sleep. 

The knock on the door was one Zuko was very familiar with. “I’m not hungry, Uncle.” Even so, Uncle opened the door and let himself in. He was always welcome, but still, it was rude. Zuko wanted to be left alone. 

“So,” Uncle cleared his throat and sat on the ground, his back to the bed, “one of the crewmen told me something that I found…” For the first time, Uncle seemed out of wise words. 

“I do  _ not _ want to talk about it.” Zuko rolled over to look at Uncle. 

“I think you might want to.” Uncle looked over his shoulder, making eye contact with Zuko. 

“I know my own destiny. It is  _ not _ in the Southern Water Tribe.” Zuko sighed, turning again to lay on his back. “What am I gonna do?” Whispered to the ceiling, Zuko shook his head. “It’s not like I can just call truce to apologize for being…”

“Being you?”

“Being weak.” Zuko, disgusted with saying it out loud, and angry at Uncle for being able to rip it out of him, suddenly sat up, unable to stay still any longer. 

“Zuko, as much as you may want to, you can’t expect to be able to apologize for the actions of oth-”

“What was it like when you met Auntie?” Zuko interrupted, absolutely needing to know that what he had felt was a fluke, that somehow Sokka had had a run in with some other firebender, or fell into a fire, or-

“It was like seeing an old friend again. Like a breath of fresh air, even though I didn’t know I was breathing in smog.” Uncle talked about his lost love fondly. It wasn’t the answer Zuko wanted. His head fell into his hands and he let out a pained groan. “I am sorry, Zuko. This isn’t fair to either of you.”

“It’s over before it even began. It’s not just unfair.” And Zuko mourned. He didn’t want to know what losing your soulmate felt like, but knowing that he was alive and  _ out there somewhere _ was even worse somehow. “My destiny is to capture the Avatar. At any cost.” And with that, the conversation was over and Zuko was out of his bed. “I’m going to go train. He won’t get away next time.”

Uncle was unsure of who Zuko was talking about, and if Zuko was being honest, he wasn’t either. 

~ 

Months had passed, and every run in with the Avatar and his friends had his soul aching. Every time his and Sokka’s eyes met, they felt it harder each time. The breath of fresh air, the ache of leaving again, then another breath was agonizing. 

It wasn’t what had started Zuko’s enlightenment, but it certainly wasn’t an unwelcome knowledge.  _ Maybe it didn’t have to already be over.  _

Then, he was suddenly saving the Avatar from the hitman  _ he had hired _ . Or, at least he tried, before falling off the building. He managed to grab ahold of a vine and held on while the whole place shook.

Sokka watched as Zuko fell to his certain death after trying to save them from Combustion Man and couldn’t help the heartbroken roar that escaped his lips. He braced for the impact that never came. When it didn’t, he ran with his friends to relative safety. Sokka was scared, and he was no stranger to the feeling, but he was feeling for two and instinctively knew Zuko was either still falling or somehow still around. 

He was alive, either way, and never before had Sokka felt so relieved that he was. 

Then, just as quickly as it had begun, the fight stopped and they watched as Combustion Man and his building collapsed. Sokka felt all eyes on him, but he didn’t return any stares. 

“Do… do you think he-” Katara reached out toward Sokka, but stopped dead in her tracks as they all watched Zuko claw his way up his chosen vine and collapse onto the ground. His chest heaved with the exertion of holding himself suspended in the air for so long. Sokka’s body moved on it’s own, and he was a good handful of steps closer to Zuko before he stopped himself. 

Sokka, most out of anyone, was incredibly torn. Was it not just twelve hours ago that they’d tossed him out? Afraid of a double cross? Now here he was, not exactly the hero but certainly not the villain.

Aang passed Sokka, finishing what Sokka had intended to do and helped Zuko up. 

“I can’t believe I’m saying this, but thanks Zuko.” They bowed to each other, but Zuko’s eyes were on Sokka when he came up. 

“Listen, I know I didn't explain myself very well yesterday. I've been through a lot in the past few years, and it’s been hard.” Zuko and Aang rejoined the group, Zuko staying a few feet back. “But I’m realizing that I had to go through all those things to learn the truth. I thought I had lost my honour and that my father could somehow return it to me. But I know now that no one can give you your honour.”

The Gaang looked at each other, sharing confused glances. They sure weren’t expecting a soliloquy, but it wasn’t unwelcome. Zuko scratched the back of his head and cleared his throat, and continued explaining himself. 

“It’s something you earn for yourself by choosing to do what’s right. All I want now is to play my part in ending this war, and I know my own destiny now.” Zuko looked at Sokka once more, and found him staring right back. It was like looking into his own face, marred by his father, scarred by the war. Then he turned his attention to Toph, kneeling to the ground in a deep apology bow. 

“I’m sorry for what I did to you, it was an accident. Fire can be dangerous, and wild. So as a firebender, I need to be more careful and control my bending, so I don’t hurt people unintentionally.” Zuko looked up from his bow to see Toph nodding.

“I think-” Aang’s voice cracked and he cleared his throat. Puberty, man. “I think you are supposed to be my firebending teacher. When I first tried to learn firebending, I burned Katara.” Aang motioned to Katara, who looked away from everyone. The memory was painful for all involved. “And after that, I never wanted to firebend again. But, now I know you understand how easy it is to hurt the people you love. I’d like you to teach me, but not before I ask my friends what they think.” Zuko nodded, bowing his head in his kneel, ready to be judged for his worth. 

Aang turned to look at Toph. “Toph? You're the one Zuko burned.” Zuko winced, ready for the wrath of the tiny earthbender. “What do you think?” Toph put her thumb and forefinger on her chin in mock thought. 

“Go ahead and let him join, it’ll give me plenty of time to get back at him for burning my feet.” Toph punched her own hand, grinning ear to ear. She was never against letting Zuko join, even after the burn. It had been an accident after all. 

“Katara?” If it were to be anyone to object, it would be Katara, and Zuko was damn sure she was going to say no, and that would be the end of it. One would have to be blind to see the chemistry between Aang and Katara. Zuko snuck a look at Katara, who met his eyes with unbridaled rage. 

He’d done her so wrong, even he wouldn’t forgive himself for it. Katara broke the eye contact and looked at Aang.

“I’ll go along with whatever you think is right.” Katara knew that, despite all feelings and every time they nearly died at the hands of Zuko, Sokka wouldn’t be able to say no to Aang or Zuko. She couldn’t fault him for any of it. 

After all, she didn’t know what having a soulmate was like. It hurt her that having a soulmate hurt her brother so much, but couldn’t help but feel a little shafted. 

“Sokka?” Aang turned to Sokka, knowing the answer. He felt Sokka basically vibrating in the anxiety that comes with being last in line to decide the fate of his soulmate. Sokka and Zuko stared at each other. Sokka had a duty to Aang, a duty to the world. 

But, he also had a duty to himself. If this lifetime of war had taught him anything, it was that you lookout for  _ everyone _ . 

“Hey, I just want to defeat the firelord. If you think this is the way to do it, then I'm all for it.” Zuko smiled, and got up from his kneel. 

“I won’t let you down. I promise.” Zuko said it directly to Sokka, but he meant it to all. 

“So, here you go, home sweet home… I guess… ya know... for now.” Sokka lingered in the doorway to Zuko’s room, uncertain of how to proceed in this situation. What are you supposed to say to your soulmate who just recently switched sides of the war. “Unpack? Lunch is… soon. Uh, welcome aboard.” Zuko set his stuff down on the bed and turned just in time to see Sokka begin to leave. 

“Hey! Uh-” Zuko reached out for Sokka unwillingly, and pulled his arm back to his side in time for Sokka to turn around. “I think, uh. We might have a thing or two to, ya know, talk about? Would you-”

“I’ll stay. I have a question or a hundred for you, yeah.” Sokka walked into the room and shut the door behind him. Zuko was seated at one end of the bed, and Sokka sat at the other end. They were silent for a couple minutes, taking in the reality of the situation. 

They were really here. Together. And things were rocky - and they would be for a while. Sokka just didn’t know if he could really put his trust in Zuko yet. 

“Okay, this is really, really weird. Right?” Sokka looked over at Zuko, who was looking out the window. 

“Yeah, it is. What’s your-”

“Who did this to us.” Sokka’s burning question bubbled up out of him like something over boiling in a pot. Zuko nodded, because he knew what the question was going to be before it was asked. He’d known it since the Agni Kai. He was always prepared for it to be the first question. 

“My father.” Zuko looked over at Sokka, who had tears in his eyes already. His own damn sadness about the situation was leaking into Sokka’s body, and for the millionth time in his life, Zuko hated himself for putting his soulmate through this.

“No, that’s…” Sokka shook his head. “I mean he-” Sokka hiccupped, overcome with the sadness he’d built up over the years, “He’s a bad dude, but-”

“You have a different experience with fathers than I do. I mean, hopefully.” Zuko reached out to place his hand on top of Sokka’s. 

“Why?” To an untrained ear, Sokka’s question would be inaudible. Luckily, Zuko was only losing his vision, not his hearing. 

“I spoke out of turn and then refused to fight him in an Agni Kai.” Sokka shot him a questioning glance. “A fight to the death. I guess I’m lucky he spared me my life.”

“Well,” Sokka sniffed and wiped his face with the arm Zuko didn’t have a hold of - he would let him hold his hand, “Lucky for us I’ve got two good dads.” The laughter the pseudo-joke initiated lifted a lot of the pressure off the two. 

Zuko squeezed Sokka’s hand and inched closer. They held each other's gaze, and Sokka lifted his hand to Zuko’s face. Zuko quickly grabbed Sokka’s hand, but didn’t return it to him. Instead, he sighed and leaned into the touch, letting someone touch his scar for the first time ever. 

And Sokka returned the favor when Zuko lifted his hand to Sokka’s face. 

“Are you losing your sight?” Zuko abruptly asked, but to be fair it was his turn for a question. 

“I was. Katara managed to save most of it when she discovered her healing abilities. Are you?”

“Yeah, it’s pretty bad.” Zuko rubbed his thumb over Sokka’s cheekbone. It felt.. different than his own. Smoother, somehow. Less calloused. Did Katara really have that kind of raw power?

“Maybe I could get Katara to-”

“Why don’t we save that conversation for another time.” Zuko let Sokka’s face go, and turned to his bag. “I’ve got things to unpack and I’m sure you have chores to do.” Sokka nodded and stood to leave, but found that he just didn’t want to. 

“Eh, gathering firewood can wait. Mind if I-”

“Please stay.”

It had been dark for hours, and Sokka still hadn’t slept a wink. Tossing and turning, kicking his way out of his sleeping bag and then worming his way back in. Too hot, too cold, bed too lumpy, everything too quiet and too loud all at the same time. 

What the hell was going on with him? Sokka never, not once in his life, had had a hard time sleeping. It was one of the only things he was good at. 

Finally he decided enough was enough, and dragged his sleeping bag out to where they had their fire pit to start a fire. Maybe staring into it would grant him some serenity. What he wasn’t expecting was Zuko thinking the same thing. The fire was already started, and there sat the object of his internal turmoil.

“Hey.” Sokka laid out his sleeping bag next to Zuko and laid down. 

“Hey, couldn’t sleep?” Zuko’s hands were closer to the fire than Sokka would ever dare, but that made sense. 

“You?” Deflection was one of Sokka’s very good friends. Zuko shook his head. 

“I felt… weird. So I-”

“Came to sit by the fire. Yeah.” Sokka rolled over on his side and propped his head up to look at Zuko. He felt his cheeks warm up when he found Zuko was already looking at him. Zuko cleared his throat and looked back into the fire. 

They were quiet for a while, and Sokka was wrong. Staring into the fire didn’t help at all. He groaned in frustration and got up to pace. Zuko stayed seated, but followed Sokka with his eyes. 

“Are you cold?” Zuko’s voice was hushed, a tone Sokka never thought possible for Zuko. 

“No? Yes? I dunno… feel weird. Like-” Sokka sighed, unable to find the words. 

“Like your bones itch?” Zuko stopped trying to get the fire to do what he wanted it to do and just put his head between his knees. 

“How do you know what that’s like? Wait, nevermind. Just- Yeah. Like my bones itch.” Sokka stopped pacing, and now that he had words for what he was feeling he  _ did _ actually feel like scratching all over. 

The question hung in the air. Was this a soulmate thing? After going so long in and out of each other's lives, did they need something from the other?

“Do you-”

“Ya think we should-” They shared a look, speaking over each other, and immediately burst out into laughter. 

“This is stupid, right? Like, what the hell are we doing?” Sokka stumbled through his laughter back to his sleeping bag. He plopped down at the end of it; closer to Zuko than before. 

“Wish I knew. But you’re right; this is stupid.” Zuko flopped back with a thud. “What are we gonna do?”

“I  _ wish _ we were sleeping, I think I hear birds which means Aang’s gonna be up in like, an hour.” Zuko turned his head toward Sokka, not realizing he was  _ smiling _ . 

“What’s with that kid? Like what’s his deal?” Sokka just shrugged. 

“He’s the Avatar. I don’t question him anymore.”

“Then don’t question me when I tell you to  _ go the fuck to sleep. _ ” Aang walked out into the plaza, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. “Just go find a bed and sleep in it.”

“Yeah, alright, I’ll just go back to my room and wait for the sun to rise.” Sokka mocked Aang, earning a chuckle from Zuko.

“No,  _ both of you. _ ” Aang shoved Sokka off his sleeping bag to tumble right into Zuko’s lap. 

Their bones stopped itching. Sokka and Zuko scrambled to their feet, mere inches apart.

“The soul wants what it wants.” Aang rolled up the sleeping bag and shoved it into Sokka’s waiting hands. “Go get some sleep, for the love of La, and stop keeping me up.” Aang came behind them, who were suddenly still for the first time that night, and pushed them forward. 

“The fire-” Sokka tried to turn, but with a wave of his hand Aang snuffed it out. 

“Not a problem.  _ Sleep. _ ” Aang continued to push them until they walked faster than him, tumbling into Zuko’s assigned room. Aang grabbed the door and stood in the doorway. “I don’t wanna see you two until lunch. Just-  _ please.” _ The young boy looked so close to yelling, and Sokka actually felt a little bad. Aang left, and they were left standing in Zuko’s room. 

Alone together.  _ Finally. Stay with me. Don’t let me go ever again.  _

“You know he’s right. He is, right?” Sokka fiddled with his sleeping bag before looking behind him at Zuko, who was already in bed. 

“You comin’ or not?” Zuko patted the outside of the bed before opening his arm in an invitation. 

“You peg me for the little spoon?” Sokka sighed - Zuko  _ was _ right, but still - and slinked over to the bed. 

“I’m not wrong.” Sokka slid into bed and curled up into Zuko’s chest. Zuko wrapped his arms around Sokka and held him tight - tighter than he’d ever held onto anything before. Sokka couldn’t help but push his face closer into Zuko’s chest.

_ Like seeing an old friend again. Like a breath of fresh air.  _

**Author's Note:**

> lemme know your thoughts and feelings! once Zukka week is over and I get going once more on YMATP, I'll return to this universe. I had SO much fun writing this, and I look forward to returning.


End file.
